Can-feeding device



L. S. MAEDE.

CAN FEEDING DEVICE.

APPLiCATlON FILED APR. 13. 1921.

Patented Aug. 22, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

' //VI/E,/V7 OQ LELAND 8. MAEDE.

CZ KW A 7' TOPNE 4 L. S. MAEDE.

CAN FEEDING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 13. 192i.

Patented Aug. 22, 1922* 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

AT TOR VEY v L. S.- MAEDE.

CAN FEEDING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 13, 1921.

Patented Aug. 22, 1922.

INVENTOQ LELAND \3 (4,4505

ATTOP/VEY objects will hereinafter appear.

I m e :1

CAN-FEEDING DEVICE.

Application filed April 13,

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, LELAND S. Manon, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Can-Feeding Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a can feeding device, and especially to means for delivering and removing the cans from the vacuum chamber in which they are exhausted and sealed.

Many foods and other products are packed by the so-called vacuum process; the products being generally packed in tin cans which are delivered to a vacuum chamber wherein they are thoroughly exhausted and sealed. W'hen sealing cans in this manner it is generally required that a vacuum of at least 28 inches be maintained. A considerably higher vacuum would, however, be preferred, for instance :29 inches or more, but present practice shows that the mechanical problems and structures involved render such high vacuums almost impossible to maintain.

It should be realized that the general type of machine employed for this purpose embodies a housing in which is formed an evacuating chamber sutiiciently large to enclose a double seaming machine which is driven from an exterior source. Means are provided tor delivering and discharging cans with relation to the evacuating chamber and the double seaming machine, and a driving connection is made with each of said means to permit synchronous cooperation with the double seamer. The several driving connections required are the cause of considerable leakage but the can delivering and discharging mechanism is the source of the greatest leakage.

The present invention relates to the can delivering and discharging mechanism. One of the objects of the present invention is generally to improve and simplify such mechanism, and particularly to provide a mechanism by which leakage may be reduced to a minimum.

Another object 01' the invention is to provide a plunger feeding and discharging mechanism; the plungers being employed for receiving the cans and alternately delivering and discharging the same with relation to the evacuating chamber. Further Specification of Letters latent.

Patented Aug. 22, 11.922.

1921. 'Serial No. 461,070.

The invention is illustrated by way ofexample in the accompanying drawings, in Which-- Fig. l is a side elevation of the can filling, topping, evacuating and sealing machine,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross section of the can receiving plunger and the housing in which it is reciprocally mounted,

Fig. 3 is a plan view of Fig. i,

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detailed view of the can delivering chute,

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one unit of the can feeding mechanism,

Fig. 6 is an end view of the can evacuating and sealing mechanism showing the position of the feeding mechanism whereby the cans are delivered thereto.

Referring to the drawings in detail, and particularly to Fig. 1, A indicates in general the can filling machine, 13 the can top ping machine and C the can sealing machine. The several machines are independent units and are here shown as arranged in line formation, which is the usual prac tics in most packing plants. The present invention relates particularly to a mechanism whereby the cans are transferred from thecapping unit B to the evacuating and scaling unit (3, and also to the mechanism employed for discharging the cans with relation. thereto when evacuated and sealed. The can delivering mechanism is generally indicated at D and the can discharging mechanism at E. The units D and E are, practically speaking. identical in construction, and both are driven in unison so as to synchronize and cooperate with the double seaming machine disposed within the evacuating unit C. The detailed construction of the can delivering and discharging mechanism is perhaps most clearly illustrated in Figs. 2 and 5, and their position with relation to the evacuating and sealing unit is most clearly illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3. The mechanism consists of a housing, see Figs. 2 and 5, which is rectangular in cross section and composed of two sections 2 and 3, which I secure together by bolts or other suitable means. The housing sections 2 and 3 are disposed on an angle,as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and they enclose a plunger i in which is formed a pocket 5. The pocket is disposed transversely of the plunger and forms an opening extending entirely through the same. The housing section 3 is provided with two entry openings 7 and ,8, while the housing section 2 is provided with a single discharge opening 9. Disposed adjacent each of the openings, and preferably formed integral with the respective housing sections 2 and 3 are shelf-like projections 10 by which the cans are delivered and discharged, said shelf-like projections assum ing the same incline as the plunger and the pocket formed therein, and in fact forming a continuous surface with relation to the pocket so that thecans may be delivered thereto and discharged therefrom by gravity. The can discharging unit E is identical in construction to that shown at l), as the housing encloses a plunger in which is formed a pocket. One side of the housing is provided with an inlet openingand the opposite side of the housing is provided with two discharge openings, the discharge opening of the unit E communicating with the evacuating chamber formed in the unit C and the inlet opening of the unit D communicating with the same chamber. As the units D and E operate in unison with each other and the seaming machine generally indicated at 12 it is obvious that a common drive should preferably be provided. The drive employed in this instance consists of a shaft 13 suitably journalled on one side of the unit C. Power is transmitted to the shaft in any suitable manner, or as here shown by a pulley 14. Suitably secured on each end of the unit or the housing C is a bearing bracket 15, and journalled in each bracket is a crank shaft 16 on one end of which is secured a sprocket gear 17. Secured on each end of the shaft 13 are sprocket wheels 18, and forming a driving connection between the respective pairs of sprockets 17 and 18 are endless driving chains 19 and 20. Secured on one side of the housing or unit C, as at 21, is a pair of bearing members 22. These are disposed one at each end of the housing, and each supports a rocker arm 23 to which an oscillating movement is transmitted by connecting rods 24. One end of each connecting rod is attached tothe respective crank shafts 16, while the opposite ends are resiliently attached to the rocker arms c8,'as at 25, the upper ends of the respective rocker arms being connected with the plungers tby their connecting rods 26, see Figs. 3, 5 and 6. From the foregoing it will be seen that the plungers enclosed by the respective housings disposed one at each end of the evacuating and sealing unit are reciprocated in unison, said reciprocal movement being transmitted from the shafts 13 through the chain drive .20, the crank shafts 16, connecting rods 24:

and rocker arms 23. The pocket 5 formed in the can delivering plunger will therefore alternately register with the inlet openings .7 and 8 and with the discharge opening 9 in the unit D, and conversely the pocket formed the plunger disposed in the can discharg unit E. This mechanism does not form any particular part of this invention and is therefore only briefly illustrated. The packunit A. and the topping unit 13 are neither involved in the present invention, but merely show the general line arrangement employed in the packing plants.

In actual operation the cans are first delivered by a conveyor 30 into the packing unit A. where the cans are filled. They are then conveyed to the topping unit B where the caps are applied and partially secured, no seal being, however, formed in this ma chine. The cans are then delivered one by one to the feeding unit D by a forked or Y-shaped chute, generally indicated at 31. This chute alternately delivers the cans to the respective inlet openings 7 and 8, being deflected from one chute to the other by a gate or guide member 32. This guide is pivotally supported at the apex of the Y- shaped chute, as shown at It is supported on a shaft, on the lower end of which is mounted a crank arm 34-, see Fig. 4; A second shaft is suitably journalled at the upper end of the chute, as at 35, and this supports a bell crank 36 from which movement is transmitted. to the crank 34:, shaft and guide member 82 by means of a link 37. The bell crank is in turn actuated by a pair of cam members 33 formed on the table, .39 of the cap nngnnit B. There are two of these cams disposed on opposite sides .ofthe table. When one of the cams 38 strikes the free end of the bell crank 36 movementis transmitted so that the guide member32 assumes the position shown in Fig. 4;. A can delivered to the upper end of the chute is thus deflected to the opening 7. The next can delivered to the chute passes down through the other branch of the Y-shaped chute as the giiiide member 32 assumesthe dotted line position 82 when not actuated by one of the cams 38, the dotted line position 32 being assumed as the shaft 32 is normally turned or held in a predetermined position by the tension of the spring 10. In other words, alternate positioning of the guide member 32 is obtained by cam and spring action, but .may, of course, be otherwise actuated, as any suitable means maybe provided for delivering the cans alternately to the openings 7 and 8. The

pocket of the plunger in the first unit D alternately registers with the pockets 7 and 8, and as these are disposed in an inclined position and also the pocket of the plunger it is obvious that the cans will enter by gravity and similarly discharge by gravity when register is made with the discharge opening 9. Admission of air during this movement is reduced to a minimum; as it is a comparatively easy matter to tightly pack the plunger such as shown at l, the only air entering the evacuating chamber will be that admitted whenever the plunger pocket registers with the opening 9. If the cubic contents of the pocket are 30 cubic inches then it is obvious that 30 cubic inches will be admitted once during each movement of the plunger. This is, however, practically speaking, all the air admitted. as leakage need hardly be considered. The chamber formed within the unit C is at all times connected with a vacuum pump not here shown, through means of a pipe 50, and the vacuum maintained will therefore be comparatively high as the amount of air admitted is exceedingly small. A similar volume of air is admitted during each movement of the plunger in the unit E, but the combined volume of air admitted by the two plungers will in practice present the entire load imposed upon the vacuum pump. The unit Pl is also disposed on an incline, as shown in Fig. 1, and as such will permit the cans to enter and discharge by gravity, thus materially eliminating complicated feeds and other forms of mechanism generally required. In fact, one of the most important features of the present invention is the provision of a can admitting and discharging member which is so constructed that it may be readily packed against leakage. Such a feeding mechanism is without a doubt provided in this instance, as the plunger may be constructed as long as desired, thereby providing large packing and wearing surfaces which can easily be taken care of.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A can feeding device comprising a casing having a pair of inlet openings and a discharge opening formed therein, said discharge opening being located intermediate the inlet openings, and a plunger having a transverse pocket reciprocally mounted in said casing, said pocket during the reciprocal movement of the plunger alternately registering with the inlet openings and the discharge opening.

2. A can feeding device comprising a casing having a pair of openings formed in one side thereof and a single opening formed in the opposite side, intermediate the first named openings, and a plunger having a transverse pocket formed therein reciprocally mounted in said casing, said pocket during the reciprocal movement of the plunger alternately registering with the respective openings.

3. A can feeding device comprising a rectangular casing having a pair of inlet openings formed in one side thereof, and a discharge opening formed in the opposite side intermediate the inlet openings, a rectangular plunger mounted in said casing, said plunger having a transverse pocket formed therein, and means for reciprocating said plunger whereby said pocket will alternately register with the discharge and inlet openings.

4. In a device of the character described a feeding mechanism comprising a rectangular shaped housing having a pair of inlet openings formed in one side and a discharge opening formed in the opposite side, a rectangular shaped plunger reciprocally mounted in the housing, said plunger having a transverse passage formed therein, and means for imparting'a reciprocal movement to the plunger to cause alternate register of the passage formed therein with the respective inlet openings and the discharge opening.

5. In a device of the character described a feeding mechanism comprising a rectangular shaped housing having a pair of inlet openings formed in one side and a discharge opening formed in the opposite side, a rectangular shaped plunger reciprocally mounted in the housing, said plunger having a transverse passage formed therein, and means for imparting a reciprocal movement to the plunger to cause alternate register of the passage formed therein with the respec tive inlet openings and the discharge opening, said transverse passage in the plunger assuming an inclined position and inclined chutes communicating with the respective inlet and discharge openings.

6. In a device of the character described a feeding mechanism comprising a rectangular shaped housing having a pair of inlet openings formed in one side and a discharge opening formed in the opposite side, a rectangular shaped plunger reciprocally mounted in the housing, said plunger having a transverse passage formed therein, means for imparting a reciprocal movement to the plunger to cause alternate register of the passage formed therein with the respective inlet openings and the discharge opening, said transverse passage in the plunger assuming an inclined position and inclined chutes communicating with the respective inlet and discharge openings and means for alternately delivering can first to one and then the other of the chutes which communicate with the inlet openings.

LELAND S. MAEDE. 

